There has been no Republican senator from Massachusetts since Brooke left office. In 2008, Rep. Barney Frank championed the award of the Gold Medal to Brooke.

“As I work in the housing area, I find myself frequently trying to preserve some of the pioneering efforts on behalf of affordable housing that Ed Brooke created,” said Frank in a statement that year. “Sen. Brooke was a leader in a number of areas.”

The Gold Medal is one of two of the highest civilian awards in the United States, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. American citizenship is not a requirement. The award has only been bestowed 150 times since 1776. George Washington was its first recipient. Other winners include Thomas A. Edison, Walt Disney and Winston Churchill.